The aim of this thesis is to explore from a cultural diversity perspective, students 'views on teachers' leadership styles in the classroom and what style of management students prefer. The study uses a qualitative methodology to interviewed focus groups of students consisting of a total of twelve students at a secondary school in Botkyrka municipality. The corpus was divided into three different groups. Overall, results showed that students seem to prefer an intercultural situational leadership style. This is based on the students expressed need of wanting to be understood on the basis of their cultural background.

Our intention with this study is to investigate teachers work in a multicultural classroom. For the purpose of this study, a web survey was constructed. The investigation was carried out among teachers on three different multicultural secondary schools in Sweden. 53 teachers informed us about their own experiences and thoughts concerning their work in a multicultural classroom. Conceptions as multiculturalism, methods in teaching, the climate in classrooms, teacher cultures and interculturalism has been used in the study.

The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of how secondary schools handle the different forms of bullying in different arenas. The questions we were asking us was how schools work to prevent and treat against bullying based on plans of action, how the schools are responsible in the bullying issues and how the schools and welfare officers have taken account of sex linkage in bullying issues. Our study is based on the result from seven qualitative semi- structured interviews with secondary school welfare officers in Sweden.  The study results show that traditional form of bullying takes place through verbal assault, physical violence, ostracism and glances. Welfare officers coincide that there are gender differences in the approach of bullying.

This paper examines how Hinduism and Buddhism are portrayed in three textbooks for an upper secondary school course in religion and is limited to a selection of books published in 2009. Based on a qualitative content analysis, the paper examines the extent to which there is an intentional division, that is to say a line between ?them and us? in the ways in which the religions are described, and to what extent the description of these religions in the textbooks are Eurocentric. The study focuses on whether or not there is a ?them and us? perspective in the different books and if so, the ways in which this approach is evident.The result of this study shows that traces of a ?them and us? perspective can be found in all three books.

During the past twenty years, the Swedish school systems have slowly changed to becomemore and more performance-driven. Private schools have been growing in general and, likeindependent schools and schools managed by municipalities, they profile themselves. Schoolsare becoming more performance and result-oriented, which has changed the roles of teachersin a dramatic way and is in general, still changing.By profiling students based on theirindividual performance, schools are able to help students identify themselves and their owngoals. The process of profiling is a slow one in which some teachers adapt more quickly thanothers, and one that is critical for other teachers to learn in order to keep up with the demandsof society.Schools, like ordinary businesses, are in constant competition with each other to keep up withthe newest and greatest models of teaching and to rank among the best in high achievements.Perhaps the downside of this modern school structure is that it is often difficult to have aschool where both school management and teachers see eye to eye. School management must heavily focus on the school?s results as a whole.

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to examine if and how the teachers from a multicultural International School work with intercultural pedagogy. The school in question isprofiled and consists of both Swedish- and English classes. The study examines if and how the teachers related to the great variety of cultures and created opportunities for integration between the students and handling with values at school. It is important to be aware as a teacher to be able to take an active part in working towards a school that gives possibilities for different cultures to meet. If this is neglected, it may increase the risk of problems and cultural clashes between the students.

The aim of the study is to investigate how a teacher and a special education teacher cooperate to prevent a pupil with reading difficulties from ending up in the vicious circle of the Matthew effect, and to find out how a pupil with reading difficulties experiences his or her reading situation. This case study is based on a phenomenological perspective whereby qualitative interviews illuminate a commonly occurring problem in today?s schools. Interviews were conducted with a teacher, a special education teacher, and a pupil in grade 1, in order to cover everyone?s perspective in this situation.

Pupil achievement and behaviour in schools was earlier seen as given by socioeconomic and biological factors. But since the late 1970s the school effectiveness research has come to give school factors a much greater role for pupils? attainments. Research has shown that schools´ pedagogical and social climate, which is to be seen as a complex product of deeply felt values and norms held by school principals and teachers and developed through practical actions, can explain variations in effectiveness between schools. Effectiveness is here to be seen as a higher mean cognitive and non cognitive student outcome than is expected with regard to initial attainment or family background.

For several years has there been a leading line from the government and the municipalities in Sweden to invest in schools and school grounds. The outdoor environment of schools has been rediscovered and given a greater importance. Investments have been made both practically with reconstruction and in a research context. Although, my work started with an assumption that these investments were mainly made at primary schools, and that secondary schools were set aside. The thesis This is my schoolyard.

Introduction: The current research shows that cannabis use is increasing, while alcohol use is decreasing in many countries. The reason for the increase is considered to be the increased availability and that adolescents attitudes towards cannabis has become more liberal. Aim: This qualitative study aimed to examine adolescents attitudes and knowledge about cannabis. Methods: Data has been collected from focus group interviews with adolescents aged 15-18 years, in a west Swedish municipality. Participants were recruited through visits to secondary and upper secondary schools.

Mitt syfte med detta arbete har varit att belysa det problem som det kan innebära för en skola att hantera elever som flyttat in under grundskoletiden och undersöka hur dessa elevers resultat påverkas av det faktum att de har flyttat in från en annan skola. Den teori jag har använt är huvudsakligen systemteorin som den beskrivs i Peter Senges ?Den femte disciplinen?. Jag valde denna teori eftersom frågeställningen i detta arbete förutsätter att man intar ett övergripande perspektiv på frågor som rör hela den svenska grundskolan ? hela systemet. I undersökningen används till största delen statistiska metoder för att ta fram och analysera hur stor andel av eleverna i tre svenska grundskolor i en kommun som har flyttat under sin grundskoletid och hur det har påverkat deras resultat, mätt som meritvärde i slutet av årskurs nio. Undersökningen visar att deras resultat, mätt som genomsnittet av meritvärdena i årskurs nio är signifikant lägre än genomsnittet för den aktuella årskullen. Mer studier kommer att behövas för att säkerställa reliabiliteten i undersökningsresultatet och framför allt för att kunna diskutera lämpliga åtgärder för att hantera dessa resultat..

This study aims to highlight and analyze eight secondary teachers' views and thoughts on mathematics. Hopefully this study will provide a deeper understanding of how teachers think and reason about their subject and how this affects their teaching. The study was conducted using a qualitative interview method, based on interviews with eight middle school teachers who teach in school mathematics for grades 6 - 9. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed and analyzed. After the interview analysis one can conclude that the teachers? thoughts concern three main themes: the importance of mathematics, children?s lack of basic knowledge and the teachers? lack of time.In discussion and analysis the teachers conceptions of the own subject is being analyzed, and that is the foundation of this study.

The aim of this Masters thesis is to analyse school librarians and teachers perspective of childrens reading and reading progress, the impact of informational texts on childrens reading and how school librarians and teachers work/teach to improve their students understanding of informational texts. We also intend to study what consequences school librarians and teachers believe that childrens reduced understanding of informational texts can have in the long run and how this could be improved. The theories applied encompass different literature-pedagogical strategies, theories about reading purpose and direction of the reading process together with a theory that shows the school librarys function in the education. The empirical material has been collected through interviews with one school librarian and one teacher at three different schools. The material has then been analysed and interpreted from theories and earlier research.

In May 2008, the Swedish Government proclaimed several proposals in order to increase the status of the teaching profession. One of the proposals was that each teacher should be obligated to obtain a "teaching license" to be allowed to teach. The license/certification will guarantee that the teacher has the sufficient knowledge of pedagogy and subject obtained from University. The existing teachers who do not hold a proper certification today will be given a certain time period to attain one. The teachers that are certificated teachers but that are giving lessons in subjects not certificated in will be given a chance to obtain the proper knowledge of the subject.

The study is of qualitative research method, where the interviews are the main material for the study. This study aims to analyze teachers and pupils perspectives on outdoor education in the early years of the elementary school. The main reason for this study is that all the literature in the area tends to lift up the positive aspects of the field. While the practice of education tends to go the other way, where the majority of our children?s classes takes place inside the classrooms.